Jeff Black stamped his class on the Taipei T10 League at the Yingfeng Cricket Ground, with his 46 not out steering the Taiwan Daredevils to a comfortable win in yesterday’s first game.
Their opponents, the TCA Indians, scored 71/8 in their 10 overs.
Black also featured with the ball, taking 1-21 from his two overs. The Indians were restricted by others in the attack, with Hein Nothnagel (2-6) and Charles Hayward (1-8) tying the batsmen down.
Photo courtesy of Ashish Purswaney @ashish_747
Manoj Kriplani top scored for the Indians as the result tied their pool up with every team having a win and a loss at that stage. Kriplani made 20 from 15 before being caught by Thomas Nel from Black’s bowling.
Black only needed someone at the other end as he went about his march toward victory with regular boundaries. He hit four fours and three sixes, while his opening partner, Johan Koekemoer, faced only 15 deliveries before retiring hurt on 13.
Kishore Krishnagiri (2-9) took late wickets, but Black batted serenely to the win with eight deliveries to spare, a lifetime in the super-short format.
The second game was closer as the ICC Smashers set PCCT United 71 to win, which they reached with two deliveries to spare.
Devang Shah’s 24 not out and 23 from Rajesh Mehta before he retired hurt guided the Smashers to 70/4, but Shahzad Khan Muhammandzai (21 not out) crafted their way to the win, in a team innings that only had four boundaries.
In the third match of the day, the Indians moved to the top of Group 1 with a comfortable win over the Taiwan Dragons.
Amit Kumar Bedaka hit 27 as the Indians closed out their group campaign by scoring 74/3. Adam Hopkins’ 1-5 with his left-arm spin was the best of the bowling, but the Dragons’ batsmen had great difficulty, slumping to 35/8 before Rishi Josula (13) added some respectability.
They finished on 60-9, with Neeraj Singh Patel taking 6-2.
Group play is to be completed this weekend before a complicated series of matches to decide the semi-finalists, who are to face off on May 16, weather permitting.
TCA said it was an honor to be part of a “historic cricket tournament.”
This is the only live cricket tournament in the world at this moment,” Indians captain Manoj Kriplani said.
“It also shows and highlights the image of Taiwan globally, how successfully Taiwan have managed this COVID-19 pandemic and being the only county in Asia where life is running pretty normally and smooth,” Kriplani said.
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